Neighbors
by fanprincess67
Summary: He was your neighbor. You were his everything.
1. Chapter 1

**The Neighbor**

_Hey y'all! This little drabble passed through my mind they other day while I was scrolling through Tumblr so I decided to turn it into something. Not sure if this is gonna have multiple parts yet but I just didn't want to dismiss the idea. Takes place... well idk but Steve still lives in D.C. and all this well with Bucky so use your imagination i guess. Enjoy!_

Moving into your new apartment had gone from a half day thing into an all day struggle with heavy boxes and furniture. Your friend had had an emergency, leaving you to your own devices. Your other landlord insisted you be out on time, and you had no other choice but to move into the new building today. Box upon box packed into the truck and then unpacked at the new place. Every time you went downstairs to retrieve another one they seemed to multiply. Struggling up 4 flights of stairs one box at a time had taken hours, and you weren't even half way done yet.

On top your struggle, it had rained an hour into your dilemma and you were now soaking wet and freezing. Today was surely not your day. But, none the less, you were excited to start this new chapter of your life. The new apartment was simple, tan walls with egg shell white trim. One bedroom, one bathroom. Simple for just you, and exactly what you needed for a new start.

You shared the floor with two other apartments, the large one just to the left of one down the hallway. You had met one of your neighbors already. Mrs. Garrity was a sweet old lady and she spent no time saying hello when you had arrived that afternoon. While you were grateful for her hospitality you had no intention of chatting for almost an hour wiht her about the mysterious other neighbor.

"I've seen him once" she said. "Very strange for such a young man... stays in mostly, and never has guests."

You wondered if maybe he was just an outcast, or if you had to worry about this other man living just a door away.  
You made your way back out out into the cool damp air, you could hear a motorcycle approaching the building. You caught a glimpse of it as you readied yourself to climb back into the large moving truck.

The rider was handsome. A blonde gentleman, maybe in his early 30's, riding an absolutely pristine looking Harley. The dark blue of the bike reflecting the street lights as he pulled down the alley and into the parking garage. You wondered if he lived in your building.

You grabbed another box and pushed it to the end of the UHAUL. Of course the heaviest stuff would have to be some of the last things to leave the truck. This one was labeled 'PANS', the others all dishes, and your bed. You were ready to go to bed more like it. You hopped off the truck and grasped the heavy box struggling to hoist it off the edge of the truck. A very audible huff escaped you when it hit your abdomen as you struggled to keep a grasp under neath it.

"Do you need some help?" A voice sounded from behind you. You turned around to recognize the man who had been on the bike. He was handsome, you admitted. His bright blue eyes noticeable from this distance, and his hair tousled from riding the machine.

"I don't wan to impose." You replied struggling to hold the box. It must have weighed at least 40 pounds, and you, were in fact quite the weakling. You were almost embarrassed that this man had to see you in this state. Hair messy and starting to dry after being soaked, your clothes wrinkled and messy, your makeup most certainly a mess by now.

"It's no trouble, really." He said with a chuckle as he grabbed the box from you like it was no heavier than a pillow.

"Thank you, uh-"

"Steve" he said smiling at you brightly.

"Well thank you Steve. I'm on floor 4 if you don't mind."

"Not a problem. Hey floor 4? You're my new neighbor!" He said. Of course he was. Your new neighbor was a stud and you looked like you'd just been dragged behind a city bus. You held the door open for him and followed him up that stairs. It seemed easier now... now that you had an opportunity to watch him from behind. You felt heat rise to your cheeks as you caught yourself being such a dog. He entered your apartment and dropped the box on the counter.

"Want help with the rest? I really don't mind." He insisted.

"You're a life saver. I've been trying to empty that truck for the larger part of 5 hours."

He threw his head back and laughed. You had never heard such a handsome laugh. Yes, even his laugh was hot.

He helped you unpack the rest of the truck finally bringing your mattress up and resting it on the bed frame. You collapsed on it and let out a loud sigh, finally thankful it was over. Now all you had to do was unpack every box and settle in.

"Seriously, thank you so much for helping. I would still be struggling if it wasn't for you." You patted him on the shoulder and he shot you a 'welcome' nod.

"Do you want help unpacking all these boxes? It's gonna take you days if you do it alone." He said.

"Honestly if you want to stick around I'd be in your debt. I could use the help. My friend Andrea had to bail and she said she'd help me."

"Let's do it then. Where should we start?"

"Kitchen. But first, music!" You said going to find your speaker. The two of you spent hours talking, laughing, unpacking, and decorating your apartment. It was going by surprisingly fast and you had to admit you were actually having quite a bit of fun. The apartment was cozy, the two of you had somehow managed to finish the entire apartment. At around 11PM you both collapsed on your couch with a sigh of relief. You felt bad you had made him stick around to help you but you learned a lot about each other. You learned he was from Brooklyn, his favorite sport was baseball, and him and his best friend Bucky were in the army together. yet something about him seemed familiar. You couldn't quite place your finger on it but you knew you knew him from somewhere. You high-fived him a good job as you both sat there happy to be done.

"I need pizza. Any good places still open? I owe you food at the very least." you said.

"Casey's down the street is open! Best thin crust this side of D.C." he replied.

"Perfect!"

You ordered a large pizza and asked Steve if he wanted to watch a movie and hangout for a bit. He agreed with no hesitation and you started up The Duke's of Hazard.

"I've never seen this movie." he said.

"It's really funny. Good mindless tv is my favorite sometimes."

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"You just did." you laughed. "But no really, go for it."

"Do-do you know who I am?" he asked.

"You know it's weird, you look super familiar. But, I can't quite put my finger on it." you quipped.

"Steve Rogers? I'm Captain America?" he seemed to be asking you another question. That's when it hit you. How could you NOT have recognized HIM. You felt like a complete idiot. Captain freaking America was sitting on your couch about to eat a pizza with YOU.

"Ohhhhhhh myyyyy goodddddd... I am so sorry I didn't recognize you!" you exclaimed. He sent you another one of those full bodied laughs that went right through you.

"It's ok! It's actually a really nice change of pace. I get recognized everywhere. It was kinda nice that you got to know about me without knowing who I was completely." he reassured.

"Does that usually matter to people?" you retorted.

"Most of the time yes. Most people just want something from you. An autograph, a picture, for you to hold their baby. And women? Don't get me started." He said.

"Well that can't be a bad thing surely?"

"It is. No one wants to know Steve, they just to be with a super hero."

"I'm sorry Steve." you said placing a hand on his shoulder. "I promise I want to get to know you for you. You're a very nice guy and I appreciate everything you've done for me today." he smiled back at you and just then the door rang. The two of you enjoyed your pizza and watched the rest of the movie before you fell asleep on the couch.

The next morning you woke up in your bed surprised as to how you had gotten there. You stumbled out into your kitchen to find a scribbled note on your counter.

_It occurred to me after I left I never actually got your name. I had a really great time helping you last night. I am looking forward to being neighbors with you. If you need anything at all please don't hesitate to knock on my door. -Steve_

You hadn't even given him your name. What a complete ditz. Would it be too soon to give it to him now? No no, you liked Steve, you didn't want to follow him like a puppy and make him feel weird. So for now you would let him come to you if he wanted to chat.

A couple weeks had gone by since that first night. You hadn't seen him at all since then. You will admit that you felt quite sad about it. Now and then you would hear him playing a record or two, oldies. The sound just barely filled your apartment and calmed you. The light sound of different artists from the 40's filling your eyes.

The thought of knocking on his door and asking if he wanted to hang out was over whelming but you didn't want to seem like one of those fan girls he had been describing.

The days had grown colder and winter was fast approaching. You spent your days at work trying to make as many new friends as you possibly could. One of your newer friends, Ashley, had asked you if you had wanted to grab a couple drinks with her and her husband.

"Ash I told you I'm not going over there..." You said taking a swig of your beer.

"It's Captain fucking America guy looks like a walking GQ cover." She laughed.

"I'm right here dude." Her husband Charlie piped in. She rolled her eyes at him and smirked.

"Listen all I'm saying is, is that you live next to America's golden boy and he's already spent time with you. hell he even already told you he appreciates you didn't fawn all over him. Just go over there and ask if he wants to go out for coffee. The worst he could say is no." Ash said.

"I guess. But, imagine he says no and then every time I see him in the hallway things are super awkward?"

"He's not gonna say no. You're a complete rocket. Any guy would jump at the chance to take you out." Charlie said.

_"I'm right here dude!" _Ash mocked him. The three laughed as they continued on and enjoyed their night. It was a little after midnight when you finally decided it was time to head home. The cold air greeted you as you stepped out of the bar and said your goodbyes to the couple. The bar was just 4 blocks away from your apartment so you had no problem walking in your dress even if it was only 40 degrees.

The walk was short and before you knew it your keys were unlocking your front door. A cold gust of air rushed pace you and into the warm hallway of the building.

"What the-" you muttered as you entered the apartment. Your thermostat was reading 32 degrees, colder than it even was outside. By this point you were freezing after trying to figure out why the hell your apartment was so cold. You came to the conclusion that your heat was broken and you would not be warm tonight.

You had two options. Freeze to death, or go see if Steve could fix it. You made your way back into the hallway and to his door. You gave three sharp, yet scared sounding knocks. You felt awful for waking him up.

He opened the door surprised to see you.

"Victoria." You said. He didn't respond, yet he kinda of looked at you with confusion.

"That's my name. Victoria. I never told you what it was." He smiled brightly as you told him.

"Is everything ok? It's super late." He said.

"I'm so sorry to wake you, but my heat is broken and my apartment is barely 30 degrees. Is there any way you could look at it?" you asked shyly.

"Of course oh my, please come in before you freeze to death." he said ushering you into his apartment. It was cozy. The shelves were lined with books, the record player sitting prominently in the corner of the room next to what looked like a reading chair. It smelled of aftershave and man and it welcomed you whole heartedly.

"Here make yourself comfortable and warm up while I go check it out. Don't worry I was already awake anyway, it's no trouble at all." he said grabbing you a blanket and offering you a seat on his couch. You took it happily and made yourself comfortable.

You started to feel sleepy as time wore on. Steve had been gone for almost half an hour when he came back rubbing his hands together trying to warm them up.

"Gosh its freezing in there. But I can't seem to find the cause." he said.

"Well thank you so much for looking." you said getting up and beginning to fold up his blanket.

"Where do you think you"re going?" he asked inquiringly.

"Uhhh- back to my apartment?" you replied confused/

"Absolutely not. You will most literally freeze to death. You can stay here, I'll sleep on the couch." he said.

"I couldn't impose like that." you answered.

"I insist. Here follow me." he said gesturing you to his room. It was huge, the California King bed taking up a lot of the space. The blankets perfectly made, and its welcoming look lulling you to climb in. You smiled and scolded yourself for thinking about how cute he must look sleeping there. You came back to earth as he handed you a pile of clothes.

"Here you can borrow these. The clothes in your apartment are probably frozen solid at this point." He said with a chuckle. He had given you a pair of sweatpants and a large t-shirt you knew you'd be swimming in.

"Thank you so much Steve." You said pulling him into a hug. It took a second but he welcomed you in and hugged you back.

"It's no trouble at all. I'll be out on the couch if you need anything." he said smiling before he shut the door.

You changed out of your clothes and into his and climbed into bed. Everything he owned smelled like soap and you had to admit you absolutely loved it. You snugglled down into his bed and fell fast asleep... a smile on your face as you dreamed of the super soldier asleep just in the other room...


	2. Chapter 2

**Neighbors**

_Guess I decided to do a part two! Should I make this a multi part fic?_

You awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and the blankets around you making you feel like you had been embedded into your own little cocoon. It still smelled of Steve and it hit you that you had slept in your neighbors bed last night. You yawned and slipped out into the living room to see if you could find him again to thank him. He was no where to be found. He had once again left a note on the counter for you.

_Victoria- Went out for a run and to pick up some parts to fix your heat. Won't be back until around 9. Make yourself comfortable. - Steve_

You smiled. You liked how Steve was. Leaving notes. You knew it wasn't like that but you liked how old fashioned he was. He did say to make yourself comfortable. You decided to run over to the cold apartment and grab some clothes and some ingredients. You slipped on a pair of workout leggings and a long sleeve that showed just the right amount of cleavage. The light yellow making your tan glow.

You had about 20 minutes until he was back so you decided to make some breakfast. The Sunday morning sun shown through the windows as you whipped up a batch of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and a fresh pot of coffee. You made breakfast every Sunday no matter what, so this wasn't going to be any different. The sweet smell of pancakes filled the apartment and you heard the front door open. Steve walked in with a large paper bag you could assume was full of supplies to fix your heater.

"Good morning, Captain." You giggled as you flipped another pancake.

"Good morning. Did you do all of this for me?" he asked.

"It's the least I could do seeing as your helping me. You know I'm seeing a pattern here... You fix things and I feed you." you laughed.

"I won't complain." he said sitting at the kitchen island and you placed a large plate of food in front of him.

"Coffee?" you asked.

"Yes please!" he chimed as he poured syrup over his large stack of cakes.

"I can't remember the last time I had pancakes." he said shoving a bit into his mouth humming at the sticky sweet treat.

"Luckily for you then I make the best pancakes there ever were." you chimed.

You both enjoyed breakfast as you both laughed about anything and everything. Talking to Steve was easy. It was like talking to a friend you had known since Pre-K. You both had things in common, yet agreed on everything you didn't have in common.

"But no seriously you can't tell me that Harry Potter isn't the best series ever written." you said. He threw his hands up in agreement.

"Hey I said it first." he chuckled. He checked his watch and balked at the time. "God, it's already almost 12. I should get started on your heater."

"Ok, thank you again."

"No problem! What are your plans for the day? I'm not kicking you out I'm just genuinely curious." he asked.

"Think I might go do some shopping with Ashley. I need a few things for work so this seems like the perfect time." you responded.

"Sounds like a plan doll." he said smiling before grabbing his tools and heading to your apartment. You liked when he called you that instantly.

_Doll... I could get used to that_... you thought with a smile. You texted Ashley telling her you would be at her apartment in 20 before throwing on your jacket and heading out the door.

"So you slept in his bed?" Ash asked.

"Yes."

"Without him?"

"Yes." you repeated.

"Well what the hell is wrong with you? You should have invited him to join you!" she screeched.

"Ash it's not like that. We've hung out two times. I can't just ask him to join me in bed."

"Oh, ok, so this isn't 'I wanna spend some quality time with the Captain' this is 'I wanna date the Captain'" she quipped.

You thought hard for a moment. You'd be absolutely stupid if you thought Steve wasn't boyfriend material. Maybe you did want to pursue him more. Though he didn't know your past, no one did. It wasn't particularly something you wanted to remember or tell anyone. Could you live with a lie?

You helped up a gorgeous white dress and pondered if you should buy it.

"Hello earth to Vic?" Ash said.

"What? Oh sorry... I don't know. Maybe I'll just work on the whole friendship thing before I think about him that way." you replied.

"You know I'll support you whatever you decide. I just think you'd be crazy to pass up what seems like the perfect guy."

"I know, I know. Hey, do you think I should get this?" you asked holding the white dress up to her. It was simple, a tight tank dress that would cut just before the knees.

"Yes, are you kidding your body would look insane in that." You got that and a few other things before the two of you headed to dinner. You chatted for hours before grabbing your leftovers and heading back to what you hoped was hopefully a warm apartment. The girl talk had helped and you pondered over your situation on the walk had decided to take things slow, see where things took you without forcing them. You had, after all, only lived in town for a month. You needed to figure out your new life before rushing into something.

You tried turning the handle to your apartment but it was locked. Realizing Steve probably still had your keys you made your way down the hall and knocked. When you received no answer you turned the handle and let yourself in.

"Steve?" you called.

"In here!" he called from the living room. You set your bags down on the table and went to find him. He was sprawled out on the living room floor surrounded by various metal parts and colored wires.

"What the-"

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" he asked.

"Uhhh bad news?"

"Your heater wont be fixed for another week. The part I need is on back order until November 17th."

"So what's the good news?"

"The good news is, is that you can stay here until it's fixed." he said.

"I couldn't do that Steve, I can just go get a hotel room or something."

"Why spend the money? I have perfectly good room and my couch isn't uncomfortable." he said.

"Are you sure?" you asked.

"Absolutely. I insist." you smiled at him. You knew the next week would be interesting for sure...

Four days later you got up bright an early to get ready for work. Your time with Steve would be over shortly and you had to admit you were a bit sad. The two of you had become rather close in the week. Nights were spent watching movies and enjoying good food and each others company. You had even caught him a few times looking you up and down. He was a lot better with women than he said he was and if the world thought he was shy they were definitely wrong.

You decided to wear your brand new white dress, a pair of pumps, and a blazer. You looked in the mirror and thought about ho much you had changed over the last few years. You used to be pale and small, your hair a sickly yellow color. You were clearly underweight and you always looked sick. Now you had gained back your weight, you were athletic and tan, your hair dyed to a dark brown that was healthy ad shiny. Your skin was clear and you looked like a whole new person. You looked good. A small part of you hoping that Steve would appreciate it.

You snuck out of his room to find him still dead asleep on the couch. His face still and his breathing slow. He looked peaceful and you didn't want to wake him up. You quietly left the apartment and headed off to grab a coffee before your shift.

The Starbucks was busy and you got in line excited for your morning joe. The guy behind you was lurking over shoulder, almost breathing on you.

"Did your man see you before you left the house looking like that?" he breathed into your ear. You shot him a grossed out look before shuffling up in the line.

"Hey I'm talking to you." his voice getting deeper and more menacing. Usually you would have turned around and put him in his place but you just didn't have the patience today.

"Hey-" he said grabbing your arm. You turned to him quickly and shot him an evil look.

"Can I help you, sir?" you asked rudely.

"It's not polite to ignore someone when they are talking to you."

"And it's not polite to touch women you don't know." you said pulling you arm away from the man. He had grabbed you hard, you were sure it would leave a mark.

"Bitch." he said stepping out of line the leaving the shop. Happy Monday you thought to yourself. After finally grabbing your coffee and heading to work.

It had been an awful day, first the guy at the coffee shop, then some of the files you had needed to finish your report had been lost, you hadn't been able to take a break for lunch, and your feet were killing you. You were starving, tired, and needed a glass of wine.

The taxi ride home was long and you were excited to be home when it pulled up to the front of your apartment. You had to admit that coming home to spend time with Steve was actually something you were quite looking forward to.

You entered the apartment to be greeted with a warm brush of air and a smell that was part Steve and part food. You spotted him behind the kitchen island cutting vegetables. There was a pot of water boiling behind him, the smell of something delicious lulling you in his his direction.

"Hello!" you said smiling at him. He was wearing a lovely blue sweater that made his eyes stand out. His blonde hair perfectly in place. A slight stubble was starting to form on his chin and cheeks and you wondered if he had decided to start growing out a beard. He looked up at you with a grin, happy to see you.

"Welcome home. Hope you are hungry." responded. You took off your blazer and could tell he was appreciating the new dress. Ahhhh so you had caught his eye.

"I'm starving. Today was such a rough day. Do you have any wine?" you asked joining him at the island.

"Yeah next to the fridge on the counter, the glasses are in the cabinet just above the bottles." he said. You made your way over appreciating the selection reds. Reaching for a glass you heard him approach you.

"Is that a bruise?" he asked. You had totally forgotten to check if the man had left a mark or not.

"Oh yeah, some ass at the coffee shop this morning got a little handsy. I'm fine though."

"What did he want?" he asked. You could tell by his voice that he was getting angry.

"He was just being gross. Something about my dress and if my man had let me leave the house like this. He was just a dumb jerk."

"What an asshole. If you want I can take you work? You know we could walk, or we could take my bike." you had to admit that the thought of taking his bike peaked your interest.

"It's ok Steve, I can handle myself. You don't have to worry." you said with a smile placing a hand on his arm. He gave you a sympathetic smirk and the two of you sat down to enjoy dinner. He was an excellent cook and the two of you spent your meal talking over the movie you had watched the evening before. The whole time your mind wandered to his offer. Was he really that interested in your safety? Did he have an urge to protect you or was he simply just being nice?

After dinner the two of split ways and you got ready for bed. All you wanted to do was crash after the day you had had. Climbing into bed sleep took over you in minutes.

You awoke to the sound of yells coming from the living room sometime early in the AM. Your instincts took hold and you rushed to the door ready to take action. Opening the door slowly, it was dark but you could Steves form on the couch. He was having a nightmare you could tell. You knew it probably wasn't best to wake him so decided to keep watch until he awoke himself.

"NO, NO, NO, BUCKY!" he yelled, slightly thrashing about. You approached him and sat in his reading chair nearby.

A few minutes later he awoke, sitting straight up and panting. Sweat was dripping from his brow and you could tell he was shaken.

"Does this happen often?" you asked and he turned to find you.

"More than I'd like to admit." he said rubbing his face. You got up to get him a glass of cool water. Approaching him again you handed him the glass and he accepted it happily, chugging it greedily.

"You know this happens to a lot of people. There are some different thing you can try."

"I've tried some. Support groups, sleeping aids don't work with the serum. There hasn't really been anything I have found yet that's worked." he replied.

You thought for a moment before taking a slight risk.

"Have you tried not sleeping alone?" you asked, worried he would either instantly be offended or think you were being too forward. Yet, you also had hoped that he hadn't tried it with anyone else.

He shot you a surprised look but seemed to think about it for a moment.

"Honestly, no. I've never shared a bed with anyone. Not even my dog when I was a boy." he replied.

You stood up offering him your hand beckoning him to take it. He shot you another look almost asking if you were sure.

"C'mon" you said shaking your open hand. He grabbed it and followed you into the bedroom. You climbed in and made yourself comfy as he stood beside the bed.

"Are-are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course silly, c'mon. You need some sleep." you said patting the bed beside you. He climbed in as if he didn't know where to put his body. As he laid on his back you turned over to face him and put your head on his shoulder, arm reaching across to hug him. You two had sat close to each other on the couch as you watched your movies but this is the closest you had ever been.

"My dad had PTSD. He always said the only thing that helped was my mother." you said yawning. You could feel his body relaxing as the two of you were lulled to sleep, listening to each others breathing...

It was the best sleep either of you had had in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Neighbors**

_Thank you to the couple of you who have reviewed! I really don't know how long this is going to be but I am going to continue as long as I can! Sorry this chapter is short but it's just an intro into the rest of what is going to happen!_

The week had come to an end and you had still not gone back to your own apartment. Not that you really minded. You didn't quite think Steve minded either, considering he was the one who had put off fixing the heat to begin with. It was finally the weekend and you were looking forward to relaxing.

You awoke that Saturday morning to the smell of coffee being brewed and the sound of bacon sizzling. You stretched out and took a moment to appreciate just how your life had turned around for the better. You were in Steve's bed, one that you had shared with him for the last three nights. He hadn't had a single night terror since the first night you had invited him to join you. It was completely innocent, although you had to admit that waking up next to the super soldier had its perks.

You got up and slipped in a large off the shoulder sweater that swallowed you up down to the mid thigh. You had caught glimpses of the blonde haired soldier checking you out a couple times and you couldn't complain. You had even been wearing a couple things you knew would catch his eyes.

You made your way to the kitchen to find breakfast waiting for you.

"Good morning Steven." you smiled sitting at the kitchen island and taking a swig of the dark liquid.

"Good morning doll" he said smiling.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" you asked enjoying a crispy slice of bacon.

"Not much. I suppose I could fix your heat, though I have enjoyed your company." you giggled at that. So he did want you here.

"I am supposed to meet Sam and Bucky tonight. Maybe you'd like to come have a couple drinks with us?" he asked.

"Of course! I would love to meet them!" you said excitedly. So now he wanted you to meet his friends too?

"Awesome! So I'll fix your heat and then we can leave around 8?"

"Perfect!" You were excited to meet his friends you had heard so much about. He had told you so many things about Bucky. From his times growing up in New York, to how Bucky always protected him, to the adventures they had in the war. All the details of how he felt losing him and what he had gone through. How thrilled he was when he finally returned. He told you about Sam too, and all the crazy things they had done since they met.

You still could not tell if Steve thought of you as more than just a friend though... You wanted him to of course, but you would never ask.

The day wore on and you ran your usually Saturday errands. All you could think about was Steve in your apartment, working on your radiator. A part of you wished you could just sit there and watch him, appreciate how good looking he was. When you finally returned to your apartment you were greeted by warmth that you had not felt in a while. It almost felt different than Steve's apartment. His had this certain feel too it that almost warmed your bones, had this certain scent to it that you wish yours had. No yours was lonely, and even though the heat was back on it felt cold.

As the hours wore on you decided to get ready to meet the guys. You put on a light layer of makeup that made your face glow, your lashes looked long and your tan looked stunning. You decided on a little black tank dress that hugged your curves perfectly. You looked amazing, and you were hoping Steve would notice.

8 o'clock rolled around and there was a knock on your door. You made your way over opening it to reveal Steve, his hair done perfectly. He was wearing dark gray pants and a gorgeous white button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His eyes shone bright against the crisp fabric and you couldn't help but stare deeply into them. You could feel yourself beginning to like him more and more. You wanted to stare into his eyes all the time.

"You look amazing." he said with a dazzling smile.

"Thank you, so do you" you said returning his compliment.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes let's" you responded. He extended his arm to you and you took it happily. You could feel his biceps under his shirt and you could admit that they made you tingle a bit. He was unlike any other guy you had been out with before. Even though you knew this wasn't a date you still were happy that you were going to be entering the bar with you on his arm. You walked to the bar with him, both of you chatting about meeting his friends. He was excited for you to meet them. He cared so much about them that it made your heart pound. He was so caring and loving, you had never met a man like him before.

The bar smelled of smoke and was dark as you entered. There was a good amount of people there and you caught a few women glaring at you as you entered with the stunning soldier. You saw two men sitting at the bar and you tell by what Steve had described of them that they were his friends.

"Hey guys!" Steve said happily. The pair turned around with smiles on their faces. Both extremely handsome and both pairs of eyes landing on you. You looked really good, you knew it, and you knew they knew it.

"Steve! How are you!" the one with the longer hair responded before both the men gave him a hug.

"I'm great! This is my neighbor Victoria" he said guiding you towards the guys.

"It's nice to meet you! I've heard so much about you!" you said extending your hand to greet them.

"Likewise, I'm Bucky" he said shaking your hand. "This is Sam" he said pointing to the other man. You all sat at a table and ordered drinks and talked. You had barely even realized how long it had been until Steve glanced at his watch. It was almost closing time, and you had to admit that you were a bit tipsy. Sam and Bucky were exactly how Steve had described them. Bucky was a natural talker, a flirt. You could tell he was courageous and would do absolutely anything for the blonde to your left. Sam was funny as hell and you hadn't stopped laughing all night. You could see yourself going out with him again and causing some trouble.

"I mean the guy was completely insane!" you were all laughing at some joke that Sam had just told. The longer you had been the more you realized that Steve had been moving closer and closer to you. His leg was now pressed up against yours and his arm was resting behind you on the booth. While you were sure it probably meant nothing, after the few drinks you had had you could feel the heat rising in your cheeks.

"Well boys, I think it might be time to call it a night. We closed down the bar." Steve laughed, as he finished off his drink. His beard was now fully grown out and you could feel yourself wishing you were his glass. God, you needed to get home before you made a bad decision and embarrassed yourself.

"You ready?" he said looking down at you.

"Yes sir" you laughed as he stared into your eyes and you saluted him. You had realized that calling him "sir" had made him blush but you didn't mind.

"It was so nice to finally meet you guys!" you said getting up and giving both the men a hug.

"Likewise. I'm holding you to that promise, we're going to that show." Sam said.

"You got it" you answered smiling. The four of you made your way out of the bar and split ways, you and Steve walking back to your apartments. He had latched his arm with you once more and you could feel his biceps even more than you had the first time.

"I'm so glad that the four of us could get together. I haven't introduced them to a girl ever." He smiled at you. Was that a hint? God, he confused you so much.

"Yes, that was very fun! They are definitely as great as you described them. Makes me wonder how you described me to them" you said giggling and poking his arm.

He laughed with you and the pair continued on to their building. It was comfortable silence. You rested your head on his arm as you continued on. You knew you were flirting but you didn't really care. It was time for you to stop worrying and just go with the flow. You liked him, and you had a feeling he liked you.

When you made it back to your apartment he stopped outside your door while you unlocked it to make sure you got in safe. It was kind of sad that this would be the first night that you would be away from him for the first night in over a week.

"So I guess this is it huh?" he asked.

"I suppose" you said smiling up at him.

"Well, uh, have a good night." he said pulling you in for an awkward hug. You were.. confused? Even more than you had been before. Had you made him feel uncomfortable? You had been friends for months now, but you could feel a change and you were scared you had read his signs wrong... You returned the hug and when it was over you awkwardly smiled at him as you made your way into the apartment, giving him an even more awkward wave as you shut the door. 

"You're an absolute idiot." you mumbled to yourself as you made your way into tot he bathroom to shower. Thoughts ran through your mind as you soaked in the steamy hot water. Thinking over the things you had done, hoping you hadn't scared him off. It was something you needed to talk to him about. you would do it in the morning though...

.

.

.

.

The next morning rolled around and you thought perhaps you could invite Steve over for a nice Sunday morning breakfast and apologize for being to forward. Butterflies filled your stomach as you walked down the hall to his door. You knocked a few times but no answer...

"Steve? Uh- its Vic. I was just wondering if you wanted some breakfast?" no answer came to your question...

"Steve?" you said a little louder. No answer. You remembered you still had a key to his apartment and decided to check on him. You unlocked it and made your way inside...

What awaited you was nothing. Literally... NOTHING. The apartment was completely empty. Not a trace of the soldier was left. How had you not heard him leave? How had you not heard him moving literally big pieces of furniture? More importantly how could have not seen this coming? You felt the tears well up in your eyes as you dropped to the floor crying. You had once again let your guard down and you had gotten hurt. Steve owed you nothing, he didn't even know you had felt that way. Yet your heart still hurt. You knew he at least would have said goodbye if he had had a chance. This was his life, he was an Avenger, and you should not have let your heart fall so fast...


	4. Chapter 4

**Neighbors**

_I'm not sure how well I like this story but if you all want it you got it! I am trying very hard so your feedback is a huge help! Sorry I haven't posted as much as I have wanted to but I have had a very stressful week! Thank you all for your support!  
_

It had been two months since Steve had disappeared. You hadn't heard one word from him or received any contact. You could admit that you were scared something bad had had happened. Was he taken? Although why would he contact you? You had no ties to him, you were just friends. You hadn't seen or heard from Sam or Bucky either. It was like all three of them had completely disappeared.

Life seemed duller now. You had put your happiness where you shouldn't have, but you missed your friend, and that was ok. You would get over it.

"So when are we gonna get you laid?" Ash asked sitting on your desk.

"I don't need to get laid." you said surely in a cranky manner.

"Yes. You do. You need to get over this crush on Steve. You can't wait around for him to finally reach out to you. He's a super hero he's probably off in some exotic country on a beach surrounded by women." she said.

"Thanks for making me feel better Ash." you deadpanned.

"C'mon we'll get dressed up and go out, get a little tipsy, and find you a man to forget about Captain nice ass"

"Also, not making me feel better" you said. You loved your friend for trying, but all you wanted to do was go home a relax. Maybe take a weekend long nap and eat your weight in cookie dough. Yeah, that sounded nice.

"You are not sitting home all weekend and eating cookie dough." She knew you too well. "We are going out tonight and having a good time and that's final. I'll pick you up at 9 sugar." she said blowing you a dramatic kiss and waltzing away. Why couldn't you be more like Ashley. The confidence she had was unparalleled, yet maybe she was only that confident because she had already found her forever guy. Either way, you were being forced to go out, so you might as well make the most of it.

.

.

.

.

.

You looked amazing. The little red dress Ashley had picked for you made you look amazing. You didn't want to sound like a b*tch but you knew you were good looking. You had been told for years how beautiful you were. You never ran with it though. The dark brown hair, the perfectly smooth tan skin, the perfectly curvy yet sculpted body yet you felt like a completely separate person than how you looked. You were that girl in every romantic comedy movie that was perfect yet insecure and it wasn't until she found Mr. Right that she became this like super confident human. Life was a total joke, and you were super over it. You wanted to settle down and you wanted that relationship but ever single time you tried something would happen that would end it in a giant ball of flames.

"Do we really have to do this? Can't we just watch a movie and get a pizza?" I said.

"No we are going out and you are going to like it. You need to get out of this stupid Steve rut. Nut up and let's go." Ash hurried you along out of the apartment and into the Uber.

The drive was short and you decided you needed to make the best of this. Ash was right, you needed to get yourself together. Steve wasn't coming back.

The line at the bar was long but thankfully Ash knew the bouncer. He let the two of you right in and into the madness. The bar was hot, sweat lingered in the air so thick you could feel it settling on your skin as you walked to the bartender.

"Two shots of whiskey and two beers please!" you said over the loud crowd.

"YES! YOU'RE FINALLY GETTING INTO IT!" Ash shouted over the crowd. The night was filled with booze, loud music, and plenty of dancing. Dancing with Ash, dancing with men you didn't even bother getting the names of. The night was going awesome, you had a few too many drinks and Steve hadn't even crossed your mind.

"Two more beers please!" you said to the bartender. Ash had gone somewhere once her husband had arrived, but you were having fun regardless.

"I got those." a man next to you told the bartender. You had no clue who he was but you sure as shit knew he was good looking. He towered over you at what you sure was at least 6ft 7in. He had dark brown hair, tan skin, and piercing green eyes. Target acquired.

"Victoria." you said with a smile as you stretched out your hand to him. "Thank you for the drinks."

"No problem. My name is Jackson. Jackson Andrews." he said returning your shake. His grip was strong but it didn't hurt.

"So what brings you here tonight Mr. Andrews?" you were un-apologetically flirting but you didn't care, and it seemed he didn't either with the way he was eyeing you.

"I got dumped. So here I am, drinking my feelings away." he said taking a swig of his drink. "You?" he asked.

"Something similar I guess you could say." you did not need to go into details. If this night went how you thought it was gonna go you would never see this man ever again. He didn't need your sob story.

As your time with Jackson went on the more the two of you started to get closer and closer. The flirting and the drinking had done it's job and he was ready to take you home. You found your friend to let her know you were leaving and her and her husband gave you the thumbs up to enjoy your night. Ash laughing as you walked away, knowing what you had planned for the rest of the evening. The two of you laughed and flirted as you headed back to your apartment.

You twisted the lock and let him into your apartment when the two of you had arrived.

"Make yourself comfortable I'll get us some drinks" you said taking off your coat and heading to the kitchen. You could see him looking over your apartment and taking in everything you had. You thought it was somewhat strange but you then again it wasn't like he was doing any harm. You grabbed a bottle of wine from the counter and began pouring a glass when you felt Jackson behind you. You turned to acknowledge him when WHACK.

You felt blood pouring from your head as you fell to the floor. Your vision was fading to black and the pain in the back of your head was tremendous. You looked up at your attacker as your sight continued to fade and you fought for consciousness.

"Why..." you chocked out.

"Because your little bitch of a boy toy pissed off my boss. Don't worry. We'll make him regret it" he spat. You let out one last breath as the darkness encompassed you. This was it.

.

.

.

.

.

Am I dead? I feel dead. No I must not be if I can think. Or maybe this is what the afterlife is? You groaned. No definitely not dead with how bad your head hurt. You opened your eyes and took in your surroundings. It was wet, dark and cold. There was water dripping somewhere in the room and you could smell mold. Your hair was crusted with blood and sweat and you could smell the dampness coming off your clothes. How long had you been out for? Where even were you?

"HELLO!" you yelled, hoping someone would pop out and say this was all just some cruel awful prank.

"Ahhhh you're finally awake my plum" a man said entering the room. He had a thick German accent, and was wearing some crazy looking uniform.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" you asked struggling against your bonds. You could tell they were way too tight and you could feel the blood start to drip down your hands.

"Who am I? I am Elias Brandt! The most important man you will ever meet! And what I want with you my dear, is to use you for what I REALLY want. You are my pawn in this little game I am playing. You see I have been trying for years to get to one specific man, that you are very well acquainted with. Your precious Captain America. He is my number one enemy and I will stop at nothing to bring him down." he said menacingly. "You see I have been watching you for some time. I know that the Captain has a soft spot for you, and with you here, under my imprisonment, he will come running."

"If you have been watching me you know that he left months ago then genius" you spat back at him. He approached you and slapped you quickly across the face.

"Shut up you swine. Of course we know he left, but you don't know he's been watching YOU the whole time." your mind reeled when he told you this. Had Steve actually been keeping tabs on you? Why?

"Why would he keep tabs on me? We were just friends for a little while. I don't have any significance to him" you responded.

"It does not matter. We know he's been watching you. We plan to use you, and I could honestly not really care what happens to you" he spat again.

"Enjoy your stay here miss, it's the last place you'll ever see." he said as he left. A large guard you had not noticed before opened the door for him and now stood guard outside. There was no way you'd be able to break free.

Would Steve actually come for you? You hoped he wouldn't, you didn't want him to get hurt. You prayed that he would stay away, and would you ever see the light of day again?


	5. Chapter 5

**Neighbors**

_**Hey y'all! So I am super grateful to everyone of you that has reviewed! At this point I'm just kind of making it up as I go along so bear with me! If you have any suggestions def send them to me! I'm not great at the whole perspective writing I get "I" and "you" mixed up a lot so hopefull everyone can understand what POV I am writing from. Not sure if I'll switch characters, I doubt it because it's hard for me to write in place of Steve but I suppose we will see how it goes! As all ways no characters except the obvious ones are mine.  
**_

It had been a week since you were taken. You counted the hours in your head. Every second, to every minute, to every hour. You determined that you weren't in D.C. anymore. The small hole in the wall of the cell showed the weather. Never any sunshine, all rain, all day everyday. The cold had soaked into your bones and you forgot what warmth felt like. You hadn't showered, you'd barely eaten. They had fed you one small meal a day and you were starving. You prayed that Steve would stay away and he had, but at the same time you wished that they would just kill you already. You were tired and you were starting to give up.

They had at least untied you and given you a small blanket, but at this point it had soaked in a the wet and cold and was one big icicle by now. The sound of the heavy metal door opening roused you from the thoughts that had kept you occupied. A large guard approached to stop in front of you and drop a tray in front of you into the dirt.

"Rations" he said gruffly before turning on his heels and walking out the door. You scrambled to see what awful "meal" they had provided to you today. It was already cold. A piece of soggy bread and a bowl of some gray slop you couldn't identify. The bread would be fine for now, but you would pass on the gray slop. You picked up the bread greedily taking a bite before you realized there was a small piece of paper hiding under the carb. You grabbed it and opened to reveal a message "_Get in the back corner and cover yourself"_

It was Steve's handwriting, you could remember it from all the notes he had written you in his apartment. You immediately did what you were told and hid, covering yourself with the wet blanket.

A minute passed and you had not heard anything until a loud explosion made you jump. You could hear gunfire, and yelling, and you hoped that everyone would be okay.

"I FOUND HER!" you heard a voice yell. You looked out from under the blanket and immediately recognized a glint of a metal arm. It was Bucky, and you had never been more ecstatic to see someone in your entire life.

"Bucky!" you yelled as you got up to throw your arms around him. You hugged him tight and he grabbed you back.

"Are you okay? We have to get you out of here!" he picked you up knowing you would be too weak to make the journey to your freedom. You were so tired that you even closed your eyes as he ran, dodging henchmen and firing bullets could not keep you awake. You hadn't slept almost the whole time you were there, and the feeling of safety brought on absolute exhaustion.

You bounced between consciousness the whole time until you entered what looked like some sort of airplane. Bucky laid you down on some sort of cot and the warmth of the plane instantly started to seep into your skin. The exhaustion had caught up with you and for the second time that week the darkness started to consume you fully. The last thing you remember was the poking of some nurses and Steve's voice calling out your name...

.

.

.

.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

You groaned. Make that awful noise stop. Your body started to come back to you and you could feel again. The warm blankets that covered you felt heavy, and you felt weak. Your eyes fluttered open and took in your surroundings. Nothing looked any different than a usual hospital. The ugly blue walls, and tacky food trays, and machines around you were nothing less than normal.

"You're awake!" you heard the familiar voice next to you and you snapped your head to the right. There he was, his beard had fully grown in now and it was darker than you would have ever expected. His hair was longer, and his eyes were still blue but they looked extremely tired. It's like his spirit had gone and was replaced with another man but tortured.

"Steve?" of course it was Steve you idiot.

"How are you feeling?" he said grabbing your hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I-I'm okay" you said.

"I was so worried. I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you sooner" he said hanging his head.

"It's ok Steve. I'm fine." did you sound reassuring? You could see the sadness in his eyes, yet for some reason you still were mad at him. He had left you, this was his fault. If he was home you never would have gone out that night, he would have been home to protect you.

"Why did you leave" you said staring at the closed hospital door. You were going to be blunt with him.

"What?" he asked. He was searching your face for some sort of clue but you were still. Expressionless.

"You left. You didn't even say goodbye. So why did you leave?" you said. He was quiet for a moment, trying to think of how to answer you thought.

"I know. I'm sorry. You deserved some sort of explanation."

"I think I deserve one now" you replied. He paused for another moment before he started his explanation. He told you everything. He started all the way back to when he was first transformed into the Steve Rogers you knew now. He told you about the serum, and Peggy. About the love that he had felt for her and how hard it was to wake up without her. How hard it was to lose Bucky. He had been through so much you couldn't even fathom it.

"So that's why you left..." you said staring longingly at him.

"Yes. I was too scared to get close to anyone again...too close to you. I couldn't bear the idea of you getting hurt. I shouldn't have left the way I did. I should have told you I had taken on a mission, but I couldn't say goodbye." he hung his head shamefully and your heart broke. He had been through so much. While you were still mad at him and knew he shouldn't have gone about the situation the way he did, you had no choice but to forgive him. He thought you would be safe if he left and you can't blame him for that.

"Steve" you said reaching out for his hands again. You took them in yours and urged him to look at you. "I forgive you. You thought you were keeping me safe, and at the end of the day I really am okay. Nothing bad happened." you gave him a sympathetic smirk. He pulled away from you and stood up, facing away from you and putting his hands on his hips.

"But you did get hurt. They starved you. When I saw Bucky lay you on that table my heart snapped. You were- you were so cold." his voice was cracking. You had no idea that Steve had even felt this way about you. While you felt the same way, you still didn't have that confirmation. You wouldn't ask though.

"Steve?" you called to him. He turned to you sadly. You motioned him over to you patting the hospital bed and inviting him to join you. He got in next to you and you hugged him. You didn't need to speak. All you needed was to reassure him that everything would be ok. He held you close and the both you just layed there listening to each others breathing. He rested his face to yours and his beard tickled you a bit. but you didn't mind. The two of you drifted to sleep and it was the best you had felt since he had left you those few months ago...

.

.

.

.

Weeks went by and you were back to your normal self. You had gained all of your weight back and the glow came back to your skin. Your hair was shiny again and you looked great. You were staying at one of Steve's safe houses but you had barely seen him. He had been assigned to another mission two days after you left the hospital and you hadn't seen him since.

You were so glad to be in his presence again but the two of you had yet to actually have a real conversation about what the two of you were. He had said all those things after you had woken up but he had yet to actually tell you if he had any feelings for you. Maybe you should just take the leap and tell him how YOU feel. You were afraid of the answer of course, but after the hospital you knew he at least felt SOMETHING for you.

Your phone rang on the table next to you and you rushed to grab it.

"Hello?" the number on the screen was unknown but you had a feeling it was him.

_"Hi, doll" _you could hear the smile in his voice.

"When are you coming home?" you asked. Home. You didn't even care at this point. You needed to tell him how you felt.

_"I'm on a plane somewhere over Russia. I'm on my way back to you." _you smiled so big at that. He was on his way back to YOU. _"I should be back within a couple hours, and I'm taking you to dinner the second I get there." _

"Steve Rogers are you asking me on a date?" you giggled.

_"Ye-" _a loud explosion could be heard in the background and your heart dropped.

"STEVE!" you shouted into the phone.

_"The planes been hit! Sam get outside and steady that wing!" _you could hear him shouting orders to the crew. You shouted his name again and you heard a shuffle before his voice came back to you.

_"Victoria-I will get back to you I swear- I" _the line cut dead before he could finish... would you ever get the chance to tell him how you feel...


	6. Chapter 6

**Neighbors**

**_I hope you guys liked the last chapter! WHEN WILL THEY EVER TELL EACH OTHER HOW THEY FEEL!? Thank you to all my reviewers for giving me such great advice! Also extra shout-out to MikkyX for being such a regular reviewer! She really pointed out what I should do as far as POV so thats why it's changing to first person in this chapter so bear with me! Hopefully you all like it and please let me know what you think! Also, should i make this a lemon? Do we want to be rated M?_**

I had been pacing for hours waiting for Steve. I hadn't heard any updates from him. Was he safe? Was he hurt? Was he even still alive?

I was killing myself for not telling him how I felt sooner. I felt sick to my stomach...

A large noise startled me out in the hallway and I ran to the door and threw it open. Steve had collapsed in the hallway. I ran to him and dropped on the floor next to him. He was awake but barely. He was covered in blood and his eyes were empty.

"Steve oh my god" I grabbed his face and gave it a couple light taps to wake him a bit. He looked at me like he didn't even know me. "Are you okay what happened? Oh my god we need to get you inside." I struggled to lift him. I threw his arm over my shoulder and did my best to carry him into the safe house before anyone could see his condition. The nearest hospital was almost an hour away and I knew he needed medical attention right away. I dropped him onto the bed and immediately started to asses where the blood was coming from. His suit was covered and the thick fabric was getting in the way. I ripped at his suit to get it open, I knew if he was fully awake right now he'd be blushing at me.

He had gashes all over his abdomen that had already started to heal. The sticky blood was thick and coated his skin. I stripped him down to his underwear trying not to distract myself with how great his muscles looked even in his current condition. I grabbed warm water and plenty of clothes and disinfectant. He needed a few stitches just to hold him over until his wounds could heal in a couple days. I knew the serum would speed up his recovery a lot so I wasn't worried about making them perfect as they would come out sooner rather than later.

He groaned and shifted his body as I was finishing up cleaning his wounds.

"Victoria?" he said in what you could tell was an extremely tired voice.

"You need to rest Steve" I said putting my hand on his shoulder. I grabbed a clean cloth and started cleaning the blood from his face. His lip was cracked and he had a gash above his eyebrow.

Steve had fallen back asleep. I knew he could tell he was safe and in good hands so for now I was going to let him rest.

.

.

.

.

The next morning I awoke on my living room couch and immediately went to go check on Steve in the bedroom. When I entered he was missing from the bed, but I could hear muffling in the bathroom. The door opened to reveal a cloud of steam and a wet Steve Rogers wrapped in nothing but a towel. His wounds had looked they had almost completely healed and I was completely mesmerized by the water dripping off his tan skin. I assumed where he had come from had kissed his skin with the sun.

"Sorry I should have knocked" I blushed.. and no... I wasn't sorry at all. He shot me a smirk and I couldn't tell if he had twitched his peck on purpose.

"It's ok" he smiled. "Thanks for helping me out yesterday."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'll live. I'm sore, but nothing I won't recover from" he said flinching as he he lifted his arms over his head to put his shirt on.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We were hit by a Hydra missile from a base we had no clue even existed. After we went down we raided it for any persons of interest but there wasn't really anything of significance. Just a bunch of henchmen. One went crazy and attacked me, he was a huge but Bucky and handled it. I just got a bit banged up. After that everyone went back to SHIELD headquarters."

"Why didn't you see a doctor?" I asked worried.

"I was fine, and I needed to see you." he said staring longingly in your direction. God I wanted him to just grab me and kiss me so bad.

"Steve I- we need to talk.." I said approaching him and sitting on the bed in front of him.

"I know we do. But, now is not the time and not the place. We are going to have a good day, so go get ready and we'll leave as soon as were done." he said smiling down at me. To be honest I hadn't even learned where we were yet. When we had arrived at the safe house Steve left in such a hurry that I never got the chance to even ask. I wasn't allowed to leave without Steve per his orders and the security agents SHIELD had been assigned to me were not allowed to discuss anything with me. All they did was silently leave food by the door and watch me from a far. I hadn't even realized until that moment that I hadn't left the apartment for almost three weeks and I was hit by a sudden overwhelming wave of claustrophobia.

The weather outside looked sunny and warm and I decided to wear a white sundress that was covered in yellow flowers. While I wasn't exactly sure where I was in the world or what we were even doing I decided to wear some tan wedges that went perfectly with the dress. I put on some light makeup, not needing a lot with my tan and my bright blue eyes making me naturally glow. My dark hair was down and waves and I felt like a whole new person. I hadn't gotten ready in weeks and I felt amazing. I exited the bedroom to find Steve waiting for me on the couch wearing a dark pair of jeans and a button up shirt like always. While he always wore the same style outfits he managed to look better and better each time I saw him. His hair was perfectly in place and his beard groomed to perfection.

"I'm ready to go" I said beaming at him. He looked up to me from his paper and was quiet. I could tell he was taking me in little by little. While I was super confident that I looked good it was interesting to be under such an intense gaze.

"You look amazing" he said standing up still admiring you. It wasn't until he was closer to you that you again realized just how large he was.

"Thank you, so do you. So where are we? What are we doing?" I asked.

"Well since last night was so rudely ruined by me I had to make it up to you. But, it is a surprise." he said with a chuckle.

"Aww Steve you don't have to do anything special..." you smiled. He shot me a crooked grin and chuckled a bit before taking one of my hands in his a gently admiring it.

"I do though. I feel like this whole time I've known you I have just been dying to say so much but couldn't think of how to express it to you. I know we have only known each other for a short time but after everything that has happened I don't want to make the same mistake twice. I'm not losing you again. I'm not letting another opportunity pass me by. I'm gonna do it right this time." I could tell he was sincere in everything he was saying and my heart broke a little bit for him. After everything he had told me about Peggy I knew he was scared, but at the same time I was hoping I was good enough to fill her shoes.

I placed a hand on his face and brought it to look at me.

"C'mon, take me to see this mystery place we are staying. Plus, I'm absolutely starving." I giggled and he returned the same laugh. He grabbed my hand and lead me out of the safe house and down a flight of stairs. From the windows of the apartment I could tell we were someplace old and historic but I couldn't quite see any landmarks to give the location away.

As we walked down the stairs I could feel the heat from leaving the apartment for the first time in weeks and it greeted my skin happily. I could smell sea water and hear seagulls as we made our way down the cobblestone. In the apartment the windows were sealed and the soundproofing was exceptional so this was all new to me since we had arrived. The sun kissed my skin as we walked down the hill and towards what looked like a town.

Steve stopped as we looked towards the hustle and bustle of a small city and turned to me.

"Welcome to Italy." he said with a beaming grin. I jumped in excitement as I realized I was in the only place I had been dreaming of going to since I was a little girl.

"I can't believe it!" I said hugging him tightly. He lifted me up and returned my hug without hesitation.

"I remember you saying you had been dreaming of coming here for a while and it just happened to work out. Tony had a safe spot here and he was more than happy to let me use it when he learned I was coming with a girl." he laughed.

.

.

.

.

We spent the day exploring the village and taking in the sights. There was a lovely market situated right in the middle of town where we did some shopping and enjoyed the people. There were carts and stands all over selling various things like spices, jewelry, flowers, and food. We spent hours just snacking on street food and buying things we probably would never need. After a while he lead me to a bench that was on a cliff over looking the ocean. The sunset would be in about an hour so we had some time to hangout until a dinner he said he had planned.

"This is amazing Steve. After everything that has happened I can't believe this is where we are right now." I said. I turned to him and realized he was staring at me.

"Life is pretty crazy sometimes honestly. Over the last few months I've learned that you can't wait and you can't have regrets. You need to take chances and follow your heart cause you never know when things are going to change."

"That's so true. You don't want to regret anything down the road." We had our moment and chatted about a few things until it was time to go to dinner.

We entered this cave that opened up into a gorgeous, extremely romantic restaurant that over looked the ocean. The tables were right up against the edge of the cliff and had candles burning in the center. Roses were in a vase and a waiter was standing by our table.

"Madam" he said pulling out my chair for me and then Steve. He shuffled off quickly and I beamed at Steve.

"This is so gorgeous." I said taking in the breath taking view. The sun was setting over the ocean and the warm sea air was blowing on us.

"I had to take you to the best restaurant in the city." he said. He grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. My heart was melting more and more by the second. He was being so romantic but he had still not said anything to me about our situation. Were we a thing? Were we not?

The waiter came back over with a large standing ice bucket with champagne and two crystal glasses. I had to admit this was the most romantic dinner I had ever had. I felt like a princess.

The dinner went on and we enjoyed our meals as Steve regaled me with more tales about his times in the 40's. After dinner I was enjoying more champagne and as he was talking I could just feel the words coming to the surface. I NEEDED to tell him how I felt. He was explaining something I had zoned out on when it just came out..

"Steve what are we?" I knew I had caught him off guard. He looked at me surprised and i could tell he was searching for the words.

"I-I-uhhh..." he stopped for a second before he took a deep breath and grabbed my hands again.

"I'm not sure what we are. I know my feelings for you. I know I fall for you a little bit more for you each day... The way I did things was wrong and I've been hating myself everyday for how I must have made you feel. What I don't know is how you feel for me. I'm scared to death that I've hurt you way too much for you to ever feel the way I feel about you for me. I made a mistake once letting someone go, and I'm not going to make it again..." I was stunned at his words. Had I not done a good enough job showing him how much I liked him?

"Steve I have never in my entire life felt anything like I feel when you're near me. There's just these sparks that I can't even describe. I love listening to the way you talk about your life and the things your passionate about. You're unlike anyone I have ever met. I don't there's anything you could ever do that would make me not feel this way." He was beaming as I spoke. The grip he had on my hands was tight and I could tell he didn't want to let me go anytime soon. The rest of our time at the restaurant was spent enjoying just being with each other. I didn't want to be greedy but I couldn't wait to get back to our hotel room. Not that I planned on doing anything "bad" but still.

We exited the restaurant hand in hand and started the walk back to our hotel room. He turned to me and just spent a moment looking at me. This was it... Was he going to kiss me? He grabbed my face and started to lean in when all the sudden a large crack of lightening startled us. I jumped away from him and he burst out laughing at how scared we had gotten. It started to downpour, and we laughed and ran back to the hotel. We were absolutely drenched from head to toe as we ran through the streets like little kids, jumping in puddles and trying to race each other. By the time we got back my hair was flat and dripping, his hair was a mess and I'm sure my makeup had run completely down my face. We were both laughing like crazy in the hallway in front of our apartment when we both leaned up against the walls from across each other. As the laughing died down the tension just built and built. I could feel his gaze on me and his wanting intensify. Sure by now that my white dress must be almost see through. He slowly made his way to me towering over me. The heat coming off his body as he held me against the wall... this was it...


	7. Chapter 7

**Neighbors 7**

_**Hi y'all! Sorry it's taken me so long to post but things are absolutely crazy with the holidays coming up! What did you all think of their date? I know there wasn't a lot of dialogue but I guess I'm just super picky about my writing and always think I am doing a horrible job! Anyway I hope you all enjoy Chapter 7! *THIS CHAPTER MENTIONS ABUSE***_

This was it..

Or was it? His fire quickly died down from a large inferno to a small flame as he brought me close to him. He leaned down and kissed me with such passion that for moment I wasn't sure if it was even real. What I thought was going to be a hungry attack became the single most romantic moment I had ever experienced in my entire life. More romantic than any chick flick movie moment or dream I had ever seen. It quickly became clear to me that this man cared about me more than I could even imagine, and I cared about him he same. I returned the kiss with no hesitation and tried to put the same amount of love and appreciation in it that he was.

His lips were exactly like I had imagined them. After staring at them for months dreaming about what they felt like, what they had tasted like I was finally tasting them. Soft, yet masculine. How someone could have such soft lips but still manage to be so strong. His hands holding me close to him, mine resting on his chest feeling the strong pecs underneath as they flexed with need.

We were there for minutes just kissing each other and reveling in the fact that we finally had come clean with each other. He pulled away much to my disappointment before throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me into the safe house. I giggled at him and pretended to protest as he walked through the apartment with me thrown over him. He tossed me onto the bed before shaking a stern finger at me and laughing.

"Now we are going to sit here all night and I'm going to kiss you until we fall asleep." He said. Both of us still soaking wet we decided to get a little more comfortable before we setteled in. I took a shower to warm up and when I came out I was greeted with candle light filling up the room and bathing it in a romantic glow. Steve was settled in bed in a t shirt and shorts waiting for me. He patted the bed besides him and welcomed me to join him. Something I was more than ok with doing. I crawled in with him and he wrapped his arms around me pushing me down into the mattress while kissing me. My head was spinning with excitement, the taste and the wonderful smell of Steve over powering my senses. He was heavy on top of me but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

My hands were in his hair and his were on me, the kisses deepening and the urges growing. Our breathing was heavy and shaky as we both drank each other in. It was heady and needy and everything I could have ever imagined with him. I could feel his excitement growing with every second and it was almost too much to handle.

"Wait, stop." He said pulling away from me and sitting up. "I can't." I was shocked but somehow not entirely surprised. Steve had been my best friend for months and I knew everything about him. I knew how important this was to him and how old fashioned he was.

"Are you okay?" I asked sitting up with him.

"Yeah I'm fine I just- I don't know I mean I've been waiting for this for years and I want you- I want you so bad but... There's this nagging voice in my head telling me to wait. I know that probably makes me sound so pathetic but this is YOU. I want to do this right." He said. I could tell it was bothering him. His life had adjusted to the 21st century but his morals had not. It was nothing to be ashamed of, in fact if anything it made him more desirable. This man was sitting here telling me that he wanted to wait because he wanted to do right by me. He was thinking with his upstairs head.

"Steve that's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact it's quite admirable. You're putting my feelings first and I could never ask anything more than that." I said. I could tell a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and I was happy I could reassure him. He reached over and grabbed me tight pulling me to lay on his chest. His hands went to my hair as he played with it.

"Tell me what your biggest fear is." He asked. I pondered for a moment before carefully wording my answer.

"I guess my biggest fear isn't the normal stuff... it's not sharks or drowning or anything like that. I guess it would be being alone. I've always had this fear that everyone I care about is going to die before me, and I'm going to be old and alone and have I one here when my final moments come. I don't think anyone should have to go alone." I said. It was a genuine dread of mine.

"That makes sense. I guess mine would be reliving what's already happened to me. I am terrified that I'm going to get stuck again... and I'm going to wake up and everyone I love is either going to be gone or old. I guess you could say we have the same fears. Seeing Peggy before she died was worse than waking up and thinking she was already gone. I had to lose her twice... I won't let that happen again... I will never ever let myself make the same stupid mistakes." He seemed almost crusaded with himself, like he would have rather let the world end then make the sam choices he made last time. I felt for him, I genuinely did.

"Steve can I tell you something I haven't told anyone since I moved?" I asked.

"Of course."

"The reason I moved was clouded in kind of a lot of anger and aniexty. I was scared and on the run. My last boyfriend, his name was Jared. We met when I was 16 and he was 20. At that time I had thought nothing of it, why was this man, an adult, so interested in this young woman. Of course as a teenager I was thrilled that an older man was interested in dating me. So the years went on and we dated and everything was great until I turned 18. I was an adult now and that threatened him. So then began the constant questioning of where I was going and what I was doing, who I would be with at all times. He would eventually ask me to move in with him. After that it was like I was completely his property. I couldn't go anywhere without him. He knew my location at all times and if I lied I would be punished. He would scream and hit, break things when he was angry. He would drink and swear and be violent. I was 22 when I decided enough was enough. I looked sick, I was skinny and malnourished. Stressed and scared al the time so I ran. Changed everything about me. My hair got healthy and I gained weight, I got tan and my skin started to too again. I was happy and living in Colorado when he found me. He had tracked me down somehow, he threatened to kill me so I ran again. I was so scared and alone again it snapped me right back into that starving scared girl that I was when I was with him. So I quickly packed up and I fled again, this time to D.C. and that night, I met you..." I had tears welling up in my eyes and I could tell he was upset to. This man had no clue that in my worst one he was my savior.

"I promise you, if that coward ever tries to find you again I'll personally tear him limb from limb." He answered. I knew he genuinely meant it too. I looked up at him and he wiped the tears from my eyes with his thumb. He leaned down and gently kissed me again. It felt different than some of our first, it was softer and more understanding. He could convey so many emotions through his touch, it was something I had never experienced before.

The night wore on and we talked and talked. The talking mixed with gentle sessions of kissing and just being with each other. We had slept in the same bed before but this time it was different. He wasn't afraid to hold me, wasn't afraid to hold everything and intertwine our legs. We fit together perfectly as I fluttered off to sleep as he talked about something...

.

.

.

.

.

**STEVE'S POV**

I awoke to the sun streaming in through the curtains of the safe house. The warmth of it's rays hitting my skin and waking me slowly. Looking to my side and seeing Victoria asleep on my arm made my heart flutter. I felt different for her than I had felt for Peggy. I had admired Peggy for her strength and cunning to hold her own against hoards of childish men, but Vic? She was soft and sweet. She didn't have the hard exterior or the sharp tounge. She was gentle and I loved the small amount of dependence that she had. It was nice to feel wanted and needed and not like you were just another piece of her life.

She stirred beside me as she turned over to face me. The sun shining on her tan skin illuminating her ligh layer of freckles over her cheeks and nose. Her long eyelashes laid on her face light as a feather, and she was slightly smirking in her sleep. I had watched her sleep many time before when I would stay with her nights I would have awful terrors. I would wake up before her and admire her beauty. I mean not to sound creepy or anything...

I wanted to give her everything, but the different times have made me scared to further any sort of relationship. In a world where swiping was the new way to meet people and couples would date for years before marriage. It was different when I was younger. Guys would meet their gals and be married within months, sometimes even weeks. I didn't want to scare her off, but I all didn't want to fuck it up and not show her how I really cared for her. I had felt awful leaving her the first time, because I was too much of a pussy to say goodbye. But no not this time, I knew I wanted her to be mine.

I could imagine what our lives would be like. I could imagine the wedding. I could see her nine months pregnant and waddling around while I built a crib. It was everything I had ever wanted. When I told Bucky and Sam I had met a girl they weren't surprised. Bucky had always heard me talk about having a family since we were 15, and Sam just knew I was the type. But a part of me was also scared I would disappear for another 70 years... That I would marry her and then get stuck again and she would go on living without me...

I got up and made my way into the kitchen to make her breakfast. Opening the fridge I grabbed the eggs and turned when I was startled.

"Tony what the fuck?" I whispered trying not to wake my girl in the next room.

"You know for being a super soldier you don't have super senses." He said clearly not getting the hint about whispering.

"Do you need something?"

"I'm turning on the bat signal." he said helping himself to one of the bananas in the fruit basket on the island table.

"The bat signal?" I asked.

"Have you caught up on anything man? Yes the bat signal I'm calling in the team. We've recieved another world threat and I need your help."

"What's the threat?"

"Your old friend Johann Schmidt is back and he's not happy."

"No. No way. Call Thor I am not getting tangled back up with that... that THING." I sneered.

"Listen I already called Thor. The whole squad is gearing up for this. We don't know when he's gonna snap and try to end the world. Everyone is at the ready." He said.

"How the hell is he exactly back? I thought he was banished to some other dimension?"

"Remember that wacko that took your gal a few weeks ago. Elias Brandt? Yeah he somehow got his red ass back from the boonies and now they're plotting to end us all." He answered.

"What exactly are they threatening us with?"

"You ask a lot of questions... look man I'm telling you we have to be prepared, and this time I'm not having the kids apart, we're all gonna be in the same kiddie pool. So, there's a jet coming here at 3 o' clock to grab you and bring you to Avengers Tower in NYC. You can stay there until we get this all figured out." He answered.

"You mean we can stay." I said.

"Don't put think she'll be safer here? Johann is gonna come for us first and you know it. She'd be better off here with the armed guy."

"I'm not letting her out of my sight again. So it's either WE go, or I don't go at all." I responded folding my arms.

"Fine. See you later Spangles." He said getting up and leaving. I hoped to god for all of us, for the whole planet, that Johann Schmidt was not as strong as he once was...


End file.
